Various individual handheld game devices and separate candy dispensers are described in the prior art. Conventional dispensers or games have generally been developed individually and have appealed to both children and adults. However, the game device and candy dispenser have not previously been combined into one integral dispenser package.
One consideration in designing toys is the cost of manufacture. A simple design helps to reduce the manufacturer's cost and improve efficiency. Distributors also have similar considerations. Toys distributed as part of consumer products, such as a meal in a fast food restaurant, require not only a low cost and highly entertaining product, but also a product that does not take up an inordinate amount of space.
From the consumer's perspective, the size, ease of operation, and attractiveness of the product are important points of consideration. It is preferable to have a good grasp on a handheld game while playing to provide proper finger manipulation of the game controls, such as buttons or the like, mounted on the game housing. It is also preferable to have easy access to the candy or other dispensable items inside a candy dispenser. Additionally, it is preferable that the entire toy does not occupy an inordinate amount of space or appear unattractive to the user.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a lightweight, low cost, easy to use hand-held combination electronic game and candy dispenser device.
Various designs for dispensers and game machines are disclosed individually in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,470 entitled “Dispenser Package” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,451 entitled “Apparatus for Randomly Dispensing Objects, Kit, and Method of Playing a Game” disclose dispenser packages for holding candy or other dispensable objects. U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,451 also discloses a method of playing a game associated with dispensing the objects. U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,876 entitled “Interactive Board Game With a Tangible Reward” discloses a game board where participants compete for a gumball or play ball prize. U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,863 entitled “Confectionary Game” discloses a confectionary guessing game requiring participants to guess a flavor material. None of the disclosures in these patents teach or suggest a combined hand-held electronic game and candy dispenser.